GDHQNHL15_2pg-Pittsburgh Penguins 2

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Buffalo, registering a minus-27
rating. Of course, he was plus-36 in
2009-10, so that might be a more
accurate representation of his
potential. He’ll likely team with
Paul Martin, a sturdy veteran who
isn’t known for scoring but is a
strong force on the blue line.
The second group includes Kris
Letang and Olli Maatta. Letang
scored a career-high 11 goals last
year, but his minus-eight rating
reversed a trend of three strong
years in that category. Maata is only 20 but showed plenty last year,
scoring nine times and finishing at plus-eight for the year. He has plenty
of potential and could be a stalwart for a long time.
There is some trouble after that. Orpik led the team with 221 hits last
year, so Pittsburgh is surrendering some toughness by not having him.
And Niskanen scored 10 times in 2013-14 and had a robust plus-33 rating.
The Pens must hope Simon Depres and Rob Scuderi, who turns 36 in
December, can provide necessary depth at the position. Robert Bortuzzo
could fit into the picture, too. Pittsburgh will never want to strangle its
opponents, not with the offensive firepower it possesses, but must be
tighter defensively, particularly in the postseason.
Goaltending
No one is going to mistake Marc-Andre Fleury for Henrik Lundqvist
or Jonathan Quick, but he is a solid presence in net for the Penguins and
enjoyed a typically mixed season last year. Fleury had five shutouts,
which tied his career high, and his 2.37 GAA fit perfectly with his
performances the last three years.
In the postseason, Fleury led all goaltenders with two shutouts,
despite playing in only two series. And while his 2.40 GAA was better
than what he managed the past several seasons, he was part of the
Pens squad that gave away a 3-1 Eastern Conference Semifinal lead to
New York, hardly a goal-scoring juggernaut. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be a
Vezina winner, but on a team that scores a lot, Fleury is fine, so long as he
delivers in the playoffs.
The Penguins jettisoned Jeff Zatkoff, who started 18 games last
year and have added Thomas Greiss as a backup. He had a 2.29 GAA
in 20 starts with San Jose last year, and his .920 save percentage was
higher than Fleury’s.
Power Play
It’s hard to imagine that just three seasons ago, Pittsburgh converted
only 19.72 percent of its power-play chances. Last year, the number was
a far more robust 23.38. That’s what happens when Crosby, Malkin and
Kunitz are part of the unit.
Kunitz had 13 goals on the power play, while Crosby converted
11 times, and Malkin scored on seven occasions. Putting playmakers
Crosby and Malkin on the ice at the same time allows Pittsburgh to put
great pressure on rivals, and Kunitz no doubt loves having two great
passers feeding him.
But Pittsburgh does have to replace Neal, who had 11 power play
scores last year. Expect Hornqvist to step in. He had 10 goals on the
advantage last year, so the situation could be under control. Letang has
a big shot from the point, so he is a valuable piece of the equation, and
Maata is a growing force on the power play, too.
Penalty Kill
Pittsburgh rebounded from a lousy 2011-12 performance while
shorthanded to post one of the league’s best numbers on the penalty kill.
There were many reasons for the success, beginning with the fact that
the Pens just didn’t allow too many shots while a man down. That led to
good goals-against numbers from Fleury and Zatkoff.
Expect center Brandon Sutter to reprise his solid performance on
the penalty kill, while Spaling should contribute on the unit as well,
particularly since there might not be a lot of room for him among the
team’s top scorers, with so many weapons around him. Veteran Marcel
Goc is a strong two-way player who should see more time this year and
has the ability to help out when Pittsburgh is at a disadvantage.
Prediction
The Penguins have enough star power to rule the Metropolitan
Division, but that’s not why new GM Jim Rutherford and Johnston
were brought in. The goal is a better post-season, and the changes
that were made, coupled with the talent that is already on the roster
should make that happen.
Scoreboard
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
PLAYOFF FINISH Conf SF Conf Final Conf QF Conf QF Conf SF
REGULAR SEASON 51-24-7 36-12-0 51-25-6 49-25-8 47-28-7
POINT TOTAL 109 72 108 106 101
SHOOTOUT RECORD 7-3 3-0 9-3 10-3 8-2
GOALS SCORED 249 165 282 238 257
GOALS ALLOWED 207 119 221 199 237
POWER PLAY % 23.38 24.71 19.72 15.76 17.18
PENALTY KILL % 85.04 79.64 87.78 86.11 84.10
Evgeni Malkin
Claus Andersen/Getty Images